KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt has moved into the “coaching ball” phase of the calendar, and the
new Vols’ leader says that’s the easy part for him.

But Pruitt, intentional or not, is also doing plenty of recruiting with how he is going about things on Haslam Field each
day.

“Everybody takes the same amount of reps, so you’re going to get developed as a player,” Pruitt said after Tennessee’s opening
spring practice on Tuesday. “Whether you’re a freshman, whether a guy has been an All-SEC player or is a walk on, everyone
will get the same amount of repetitions.

“We’re going to coach them all the same way.”

That’s music to the ears of recruits, especially the impact players Tennessee is recruiting as Pruitt reshapes the roster
with players that fit his scheme.

Time will tell whether this is Pruitt’s approach each spring, but with a new coaching staff and a new offensive and defensive
plan to implement, it certainly fits the Vols’ current need.

Pruitt said the practice plan that he’s put in place is similar to those used by Alabama coach Nick Saban, Texas A&amp;M coach
Jimbo Fisher (when he was at Florida State) and Miami coach Mark Richt (when he was at Georgia).

“All the places I’ve coached the 11 years I’ve been in college football have used the same practice plan,” Pruitt said. “It
works.’

SEC Country Tennessee beat writer Mike Griffith and WNML’s Josh Ward discuss Pruitt’s approach, and how it might be tailored
to setting up the Vols in an optimal position.